We had a fun filled labor day yesterday. We went to two places we had never been before. Our first stop was Promontory Utah. I've always wanted to go there and felt like a total loser that we had never been, being that we don't live that far away and people come from all over to visit that place. Promontory is the location where the Union and Central Pacific Railroad line rails were joined, linking the East and the West with the first transcontinental railroad. It is an important enough place, it is featured on the back of the Utah quarter. We were able to watch a reenactment of the event that took place in 1869. We learned that there wasn't just one gold spike that was placed to link the two tracks, but that there were 4 different spikes- two gold, one silver and one that was part gold and silver. Another interesting fact we learned today is that if you add the miles of rail that were laid from Sacramento with the miles of rail laid from Omaha you get 1776- the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Standing in the place where history was made.
Holding the replica spikes that were used in the reenactment.
A replica of the golden spike. The real one resides at the Smithsonian.
After we left there, we headed for the Spiral Jetty- a place we learned existed only the day before. Although Zac says he learned about it in school when he was in 5th grade. We told our kids that when they learn about things such as this, they should make it known to their parents who did not go to school in Utah and therefore never learned those types of things. Before exploring the jetty, we had to have lunch.
On the way out that morning we stopped at the store and I bought these pre-made sandwiches in the deli. They were ridiculously huge. We each took off half the meat and some of us took off the top piece of bread just so we could fit it in our mouth.
Our lovely picnicking view.
Emily is in the back of Steve's truck in the center of this picture. This plane kept flying low and at one point it was right next to the truck and a gust of wind tipped it toward the truck and it kinda freaked me out a little. It also gave me flashbacks to the plane that regularly buzzes my house and flies through my yard.
You can see the jetty in the distance.
The water level was really low so there was no water at the jetty. We walked out on the salt to see what the pink stuff was we could see in the distance.
Zac dared Emily and Addy to lick the ground and taste the salt. As you can see....they complied...
We made it to the pink stuff. It was water, tinted by what I thought was the natural salt. However I just googled it and found out it is actually tinted pink from organisms living in the highly concentrated salt water. Nice. Wish I had known that before I went wading knee deep in it. It was rather beautiful though.
Zac, trying to convince Addy to eat a roasted salted grasshopper by telling her it is a delicacy in other countries.
After we left the jetty, we headed for my mom's house. She made Zac the dinner of his choice for his 17th Birthday, which is today! She made the most delicious, melt in your mouth brisket. It was fantastic.
Gettin' fancy with the match candles. Delicious pineapple coconut cream cake.
I am so thankful for the beautiful creations Heavenly Father has surrounded us with. I am thankful I was able to enjoy some of those creations with my family yesterday. And I am so thankful for the family He has given me.
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